Should I Move To
Newton, Massachusetts comes in at about 88,453 residents. Cost of living comes out expensive — 27% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $2,252/mo, and the median household income is about $176,373. Overall, 66/100 on our composite score, which works out to a B-, putting it at #43 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 127 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's expensive territory. With median rent at $2,252/mo and median household income at $176,373, housing takes about 15% of gross income — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Homes typically value around $1,136,200.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect four-season weather — summers near 80°F, winters around 26°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 44 inches annually. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods. On crime, it scores well — incidents per capita run noticeably under the national average. Air quality reads good (AQI 35).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
On the families profile, Newton sits squarely in the middle. It earns 65/100 (grade B-) on the families profile. Strongest on education (99/100); weakest on affordability (14/100).
On the retirees profile, Newton sits squarely in the middle. It earns 55/100 (grade C) on the retirees profile. Strongest on education (99/100); weakest on affordability (14/100).
Newton is a tougher sell for remote workers. It earns 51/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on education (99/100); weakest on affordability (14/100).
On the young professionals profile, Newton sits squarely in the middle. It earns 61/100 (grade C+) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on education (99/100); weakest on affordability (14/100).
Newton, Massachusetts pulls a 66/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade B-), currently ranked #43 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Newton's cost-of-living index is 127 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 27% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,252/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 80°F, winter averages around 26°F, with about 44 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 49/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods.
Newton has about 88,453 residents, 80% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 42.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Newton head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Newton stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Newton with other Massachusetts cities scored on UrbRank.
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